Thursday, 18 February 2016

Along the Infinite Sea

Whenever I read one of
Beatriz Williams’ books, it is like catching up on family. Along the Infinite Sea is another installment in the lives of the
Schuyler sisters, a trio of society daughters whose lives I have been compelled
to follow, since I first read 100
Summers. This latest novel follows the trials of Pepper Schuyler,
unexpectedly pregnant and running away from her Washington DC life. We last saw
Pepper restoring an old Mercedes in Tiny
Little Thing, which introduced us to Pepper’s sister, Tiny.

The old Mercedes is the
catalyst that brings Pepper and Annabelle together when Annabelle buys the car
from Pepper for a large sum of money. Pepper hopes that the money will ensure
her security and can support her and her child, but when the indomitable
Annabelle intercepts with her own plan for Pepper’s well-being, the pair
undertake a new journey together. The chapters alternate between the present
and the past, intertwining the tale of Annabelle’s tumultuous coming of age in
pre-war Germany with Pepper’s present 1960’s troubles, ultimately uniting the
pair to face their pasts together. Annabelle’s connection to the old car is
slowly revealed and we learn how a sudden and desperate escape leads her, and
the car, to the Cape Cod shed where Pepper uncovered it. Meanwhile, Pepper
faces her own sudden escape from life’s complications, and as each of the
women’s secrets of the past come to light, they help each other move into the
present.

I really enjoyed this final
chapter in the lives of the Schuylers, and I will miss them now they are gone. The
real history that Williams effectively writes into the backdrop of her stories
enhances the reader’s understanding of the past and gives the characters an
authenticity that draws us in to empathize with their plight.